Electronic device comprising a chip and at least one SMT electronic component

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes a carrier substrate with an electronic IC chip mounted on top of the carrier substrate. An encapsulation block on top of the front face of the carrier substrate embeds the IC chip. The encapsulation block has a through-void for positioning and confinement that extends through the encapsulation block to the top of the carrier substrate. At least one electronic component is positioned within the through-void and mounted to the top of the carrier substrate. Solder bumps or pads are located within the through-void to electrically connect the at least one electronic component to the carrier substrate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/064,119, filed Oct. 6, 2020, which claims the priority benefit of French Application for Patent No. 1911129, filed on Oct. 8, 2019, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties to the maximum extent allowable by law.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of microelectronics.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices are known in the art that include electronic integrated circuit (IC) chips and electronic components, referred to as surface mount technology (SMT) components, mounted on top of carrier substrates. An encapsulation block collectively embeds the electronic IC chips and the electronic components.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, what is proposed is an electronic device that comprises: a carrier substrate having a front face for mounting and a back face; at least one electronic integrated circuit (IC) chip on top of the front face of the carrier substrate and connected to first front electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate; at least one electronic component on top of the front face of the carrier substrate and provided with electrical connection terminals that are connected to second front electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate by solder bumps or pads; and an encapsulation block on top of the front face of the carrier substrate, in which the electronic IC chip is embedded.

The encapsulation block has a through-void for positioning and confinement, reaching the front face of the carrier substrate, in which the electronic component and the solder bumps are located. The through-void and the electronic component are configured such that there is a clearance between the flanks of the through-void and the flanks of the electronic component and that the orientation of the electronic component, parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate, is limited by at least two opposite flanks of the through-void for positioning and confinement.

Thus, the electronic component is correctly placed with respect to the second electrical contacts of the carrier substrate.

The distance between the opposite flanks of the through-void for positioning and confinement is smaller than the largest dimension of the electronic component parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate.

The electrical connection terminals of the electronic component may be located above the second electrical contacts.

The second electrical contacts may extend beyond the electronic component.

The electrical connection terminals may be formed at opposite ends of the electronic component.

The carrier substrate may be provided with an integrated network of electrical connections from one face to the other, including the first and second electrical contacts.

The device may comprise a stack of corresponding electronic components that are located one on top of the other in the through-void for positioning and confinement and have corresponding electrical connection terminals that are connected to one another and to the second front electrical contacts of the network of electrical connections by the solder bumps or pads.

What is also proposed is a process for producing an electronic device, which process comprises the following steps: mounting an electronic integrated circuit (IC) chip on top of a front, mounting face of a carrier substrate and connecting to first electrical contacts of the front face of a carrier substrate; forming an encapsulation block on top of the front face of the carrier substrate, in which the electronic IC chip is embedded; making a through-void for positioning and confinement through the encapsulation block which reaches the front face of the carrier substrate and exposes the second electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate; placing at least one electronic component in the through-void for positioning and confinement on top of the front face of the carrier substrate, the through-void for positioning and confinement and the electronic component being configured such that there is a clearance between the flanks of the through-void for positioning and confinement and the flanks of the electronic component and that the orientation of the electronic component, parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate, is limited by at least two opposite flanks of the through-void for positioning and confinement; dispensing solder material into the through-void for positioning and confinement, the solder material penetrating into said clearance; and hardening the solder material so that electrical connection terminals of the electronic component are connected to the second electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate by solder bumps or pads that are located in the through-void for positioning and confinement.

The solder material may be dispensed in the form of a powder.

The solder material may be dispensed in the form of a paste.

The distance between the opposite flanks of the through-void for positioning and confinement may be chosen so as to be smaller than the largest dimension of the electronic component parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate.

The electrical connection terminals of the electronic component may be located above the second electrical contacts.

The second electrical contacts may extend beyond the electronic component.

The electrical connection terminals may be formed at opposite ends of the electronic component.

The carrier substrate may be provided with an integrated network of electrical connections from one face to the other, which is connected to the first and second electrical contacts.

The process may comprise: placing a stack of corresponding electrical components on top of the other in the through-void having corresponding electrical connection terminals; dispensing the solder material into the through-void for positioning and confinement, the solder material penetrating into the clearance between the flanks of the through-void and the flanks of the stacked electronic components; and hardening the solder material so that electrical connection terminals of the electronic components are connected to one another and to the second electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate by the solder bumps or pads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An electronic device will now be described by way of non-limiting exemplary embodiment, illustrated by the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a section through an electronic device; and

FIG. 2 shows a local view from above of the electronic device of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 , an electronic device 1 comprises a carrier substrate 2, made of a dielectric material, that has a front face 3 for mounting and a back face 4 and is provided with an electrical connection network 5 from the front face to the back face.

The electronic device 1 comprises at least one electronic integrated circuit (IC) chip 6 mounted on top of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 via a layer of adhesive 7 interposed between the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 and a back face 8 of the IC chip 6.

The IC chip 6 is connected to the electrical connection network 5 via electrical wires 9 that connect first electrical contacts 10 of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 to electrical contacts 11 of a front face 12 of the IC chip 6.

According to one variant embodiment, the IC chip 6 could be mounted on top of the carrier substrate 2 and electrically connected to the electrical connection network 5 via electrical connection elements such as balls, interposed between electrical contacts of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 and electrical contacts of the face 8 of the IC chip 6. Additionally, a layer of adhesive could be interposed between the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 and the face 8 of the IC chip 6, in which the electrical connection elements are embedded.

The electronic device 1 comprises an encapsulation block 13 on top of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2, in which the IC chip 6 is embedded. The electrical wires 9 are also embedded in the encapsulation block 13.

The encapsulation block 13 has a front face 14 which, for example, extends parallel to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 and a peripheral face which, for example, follows the contour of the carrier substrate 2 and is perpendicular to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2.

The encapsulation block 13 has, extending from the front face 14, a through-void 15 for positioning and confinement, which is located at a position away from the IC chip 6 and extends to reach the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2. The through-void 15 exposes, in the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2, second electrical contacts 16 of the electrical connection network 5.

The electronic device 1 comprises a corresponding stack 17 of electronic components 18 that are located one on top of the other in the through-void 15 from the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2.

The through-void 15 for positioning and confinement and the electronic components 18 are configured such that there is a clearance between the flanks of the through-void 15 and the flanks of the electronic components 18 and that the orientation of the electronic components 18, parallel to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2, is limited by at least two opposite flanks of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement.

More particularly, the distance between the opposite flanks of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement is smaller than the largest dimension of the electronic components parallel to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2.

For example, the electronic components 18 take the shape of parallelepipeds that are arranged flat on top of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 20 one on top of the other and the through-void for positioning and confinement 15 has, parallel to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2, a rectangular cross section that is larger than the rectangular cross section of the electronic components in both directions.

The distance between two opposite flanks of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement is smaller than the diagonal connecting opposite corners of the electronic components 18, such that the orientation of the electronic components is limited by the diagonally opposite corners of the electronic components 18 butting against these two opposite flanks.

The electronic components 18 have corresponding electrical connection terminals 19. More particularly, the electrical connection terminals 19 are formed at opposite ends of the electronic components 18, going around them.

The electrical connection terminals 19 are located one above the other and above the second electrical contacts 16.

More particularly, the electrical connection terminals 19 of the electronic component 18 that is adjacent to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 are located on top of the second electrical contacts 16. The second electrical contacts 16 extend beyond the electronic component 18 adjacent to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2.

The electronic components 18 are generally referred to as surface mount technology (SMT) components and may be electrical resistors, capacitors, inductors, or electronic IC chips provided, for example, with side electrical connection legs.

The electronic device 1 comprises solder bumps or pads 20 which electrically connect the corresponding electrical connection terminals 19 of the electronic components 18 to one another and to the second electrical contacts 16 of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2. Advantageously, the solder bumps or pads 20 are confined within the clearance between the flanks of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement and the flanks of the electronic components 18.

The electronic device 1 may be produced individually or in batches, making use of fabrication tools and processes known from the field of microelectronics.

With the carrier substrate 2 provided with the electrical connection network 5, the IC chip 6 is mounted on top of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate, and it is electrically connected to the electrical connection network 5 as described above.

Next, the encapsulation block 13 is produced, for example in a mold.

Next, the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement is produced, for example by means of chemical, mechanical or chemical-mechanical attack.

Next, the electronic components 18 are introduced successively, one on top of the other, into the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement so as to form the stack 17.

By virtue of the relative configuration of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement and of the electronic components 18, there is a clearance between the flanks of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement and the flanks of the electronic components 18. Additionally, the orientation of the electronic components 18, parallel to the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2, is limited by at least two opposite flanks of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement, the diagonally opposite corners of the electronic components being able to butt against these flanks.

In an embodiment, the through-void has a cross section parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate that is a first rectangular shape defined by a first pair of opposite flanks each having a first length and a second pair of opposite flanks each having a second length. These lengths are specifically chosen relative to the size of the electronic component 18 to ensure a certain orientation. In this regard, the component 18 has a cross section parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate that is a second rectangular shape defined by a third pair of opposite flanks each having a third length less than the first length and greater than the second length and a fourth pair of opposite flanks each having a fourth length less than the second length.

Next, solder material is introduced into the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement, the solder material penetrating into the clearance between the flanks of the through-void 15 for positioning and confinement and the flanks of the electronic components 18, while being confined within this clearance.

The solder material may be dispensed in the form of a powder or in the form of a paste, by spreading or by using a pipette.

Next, the solder material is hardened so that electrical connection terminals 19 of the electronic components are connected to one another and to the second electrical contacts 16 of the front face 3 of the carrier substrate 2 by the solder bumps or pads 20. It may be hardened by means of a heat treatment or by means of light radiation.

In a batch production process, there is a collective carrier substrate that has, at sites, networks 5 of electrical connections, these sites being aligned in rows and columns.

At each site, an IC chip 6 is mounted and connected on top of the collective carrier substrate.

Next, a collective encapsulation block, in which the IC chips 6 are embedded, is formed.

Next, at each site, a through-void 15 for positioning and confinement is made, the electronic components 18 are placed in the through-voids 15 for positioning and confinement, solder material is introduced into the through-voids 15 for positioning and confinement and the solder material is hardened so as to form solder bumps or pads 20.

After this, the collective carrier substrate and the collective encapsulation block are cut along the lines and columns in order to separate the sites so as to obtain, at each site, an electronic device 1. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A process for producing an electronic device, comprising: mounting an integrated circuit (IC) chip on top of a front face of a carrier substrate and connecting the IC chip to first electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate; forming an encapsulation block on top of the front face of the carrier substrate which embeds the IC chip; making a through-void for positioning and confinement that extends through the encapsulation block, reaches the front face of the carrier substrate and exposes second electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate; placing a stack of electronic components in the through-void on top of the front face of the carrier substrate, wherein the through-void and the stack of electronic components are configured such that there is a clearance between flanks of the through-void and flanks of the stack of electronic components, and wherein an orientation of the stack of electronic components, parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate, is limited by at least two opposite flanks of the through-void; dispensing solder material into the through-void such that the solder material penetrates into said clearance; and hardening the solder material so that electrical connection terminals of each electronic component of the stack of electronic components are connected to the second electrical contacts of the front face of the carrier substrate by solder bumps or pads that are located in the through-void.
 2. The process according to claim 1, wherein dispensing the solder material comprises dispensing a solder material powder.
 3. The process according to claim 1, wherein dispensing the solder material comprises dispensing a paste solder material.
 4. The process according to claim 1, wherein a distance between opposite flanks of the through-void is smaller than a largest dimension of the stack of electronic components parallel to the front face of the carrier substrate.
 5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection terminals of each electronic component in the stack of electronic components are located above the second electrical contacts.
 6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the second electrical contacts extend beyond the stack of electronic components.
 7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection terminals are formed at opposite ends of each electronic component in the stack of electronic components.
 8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the carrier substrate is provided with an integrated network of electrical connections from the front face to the back face, and wherein the integrated network of electrical connections is connected to the first and second electrical contacts.
 9. The process according to claim 1, wherein dispensing solder material comprises dispensing solder material into the through-void to penetrate into the clearance between flanks of the through-void and flanks of the stacked of electronic components; and wherein hardening the solder material comprises hardening the solder material so that electrical connection terminals of each electronic component in the stack of electronic components are connected to one another.
 10. The process according to claim 1, where the electronic components of the stack of electronic components all have a same size and shape.
 11. The process according to claim 1, wherein a height of the stack of electronic components is less than a height of the through-void for positioning and confinement.
 12. The process according to claim 1, where each electronic component has a parallelpipedal shape.
 13. The process according to claim 1, where each electronic component is a surface mount technology (SMT) component.
 14. The process according to claim 1, wherein hardening the solder material comprises applying a heat treatment.
 15. The process according to claim 1, wherein hardening the solder material comprises applying light radiation.
 16. The process according to claim 1, further comprising cutting along lines and columns to separate the electronic device from a collective carrier substrate.
 17. A process for producing a plurality of electronic device, comprising: mounting, at one of a plurality of sites arranged in lines and columns on a collective carrier substrate, an integrated circuit (IC) chip that is connected to first electrical contacts; forming an encapsulation block on top of the front face of the collective carrier substrate which embeds the IC chips at the plurality of sites; making, at each site, a through-void for positioning and confinement that extends through the encapsulation block, reaches the front face of the collective carrier substrate and exposes second electrical contacts; placing, in each through void, a stack of electronic components, wherein the through-void and the stack of electronic components are configured such that there is a clearance between flanks of the through-void and flanks of the stack of electronic components, and wherein an orientation of the stack of electronic components, parallel to the front face of the collective carrier substrate, is limited by at least two opposite flanks of the through-void; dispensing solder material into each through-void such that the solder material penetrates into said clearance; hardening the solder material so that electrical connection terminals of each electronic component of the stack of electronic components are connected to the second electrical contacts by solder bumps or pads that are located in each through-void; and cutting through the encapsulation block and the collective carrier substrate along the lines and columns to separate individual electronic devices.
 18. The process according to claim 17, where the electronic components of the stack of electronic components in each through-void all have a same size and shape.
 19. The process according to claim 17 wherein a height of the stack of electronic components in each through-void is less than a height of the through-void for positioning and confinement.
 20. The process according to claim 17, where each electronic component has a parallelpipedal shape.
 21. The process according to claim 17, where each electronic component is a surface mount technology (SMT) component. 